


Magnetic

by yugyoo



Category: GOT7, JJ Project
Genre: Alternate Universe - Boarding School, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, M/M, Teen Angst, another hot and cold fic ughgsk, mean jinyoung, moody jaebeom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:55:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23075107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yugyoo/pseuds/yugyoo
Summary: Jaebeom has superpowers, but he's not the only one. After an odd turn of events, he finds himself at a boarding school for troubled "gifted" kids like himself. They'll get along and have a super time, right?
Relationships: Im Jaebum | JB/Park Jinyoung, Mark Tuan/Jackson Wang
Comments: 11
Kudos: 59





	1. So you're like Mr. Freeze, right?

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a long time ago and hated it, but I was feeling bold today and figured I'd post it anyway. Maybe I'll update it eventually idk.

“So you’re like Mr. Freeze, right?” Yugyeom smiled, bouncing up and down in his seat. Jaebeom shot a deadly glare and stabbed his fork into some runny scrambled eggs. Jaebeom didn’t understand how an academy so wanna-be boujee like this one could have such shitty shitty eggs. His old high school back home had better eggs than these. Once he brought the spoon to his lips, the steaming eggs cooled. He looked back down at his plate, at least his power was manageable enough not to completely freeze his food again.

“Hyung? Are you sure you don’t have multiple abilities? I swear it’s like you’re mentally speaking to those eggs or something?” rambled Yugyeom. He bellowed out a nervous laugh when the set of eyes across him shot another glare. Jaebeom’s too cold, no pun intended. 

Jaebeom rolled his eyes. It’s really not the kid’s fault that he’s in a sour mood. Kids like him have probably been going to this weird super-school for years. He probably looks at this school like a second home. Jaebeom couldn’t really relate, considering he himself has never really had a first home. His expression warmed a little, “Yugyeom, I appreciate your effort, but I really don’t need a tour guide right now. I can get around. I mean, the rooms are numbered anyway. I also don’t give a shit about this academy’s history or alumni or whatever. I just want to learn how to manage my powers and graduate. That’s it.”

Yugyeom was unflustered. His eyes just flickered a little. He must've been taken aback. “I don’t know what it is about having weird powers that makes everyone so angsty! Just give us a chance. Our powers are freaking cool. We’re like rockstars or something.”

Jaebeom was doubtful, but something told him no matter how hard he tried to fight it, this kid won’t detach. He did have a point, Jaebeom couldn't come home, considering his own family are the ones that sent him here to begin with. As he was deep in thought, Jaebeom’s fork started to freeze to his hand. To avoid any Mr. Freeze comments from Yugyeom, he tried to divert the attention. “What are your powers anyway, Yugyeom? Apparently whoever’s in charge told you mine. It’d only be fair if you told me yours. That is, unless you have a third eye I can’t see or something.” Jaebeom internally cringed at his attempt at small-talk with a new acquaintance, but thankfully Yugyeom seemed to have such an open aura that awkward must not phase him. That must be why he’s in charge of the show-the-new-kid-the-ropes tour.

“Oh, no one told me! And my power is in my head, so it makes sense that you couldn’t see it. I have a like, scary good memory.”

“Wait, if you’re so smart, shouldn’t you be at Yale or Harvard or something ?” asked Jaebeom, playfully.

“Not really. Having a good memory doesn’t mean I’m a genius. I’m good at memorizing locations and movements, but words and especially numbers are a bit tougher for me. I can read shakespeare and poetry, but that doesn’t mean I can understand it without actually studying it or copying someone else’s homework. My memory’s limit with text is about two books a day more or less...? I dunno, it depends on the day, really. Plus law school is boring! Technically, this school is more exclusive than those old dusty schools. Where else am I gonna find such cool people? No pun intended”

Jaebeom had to admit, the kid was impressive. Impressively lazy. Jaebeom counted himself lucky if he could memorize a simple poem or lullaby his mom sang to him as a child. Jaebeom wasn’t really sure what else to say at the moment, so he just picked at his food (now cold) and casually sipped his coffee (now iced). He wanted to actually eat more, but his social anxiety onset by this new location must have offset his powers again. Damn emotions. The awkward silence extended, Yugyeom just eating cereal with his cheek resting in his hand. Jaebeom could tell the kid wanted to ask more questions or possibly run through the school's history again, but he probably didn’t want to pry or bother his breakfast. Jaebeom appreciated that. He kind of wanted to get out of this situation as quickly as possible before he ices the whole table.“Where are the trash cans? My food got cold.”

His classes were literally just like any other high school classes. The work was kind of confusing since Jaebeom did enroll into the school about a month into the new semester, but he probably would have been confused if he'd been there since day one too. He'd never really been a strong student and he's sure if it wouldn’t have been for his ice powers giving him immediate enrollment, he would have no business in any sort of school. He was a few assignments away from dropping out in his old high school. He wouldn't be sure where to go after that, but anywhere would have been better than there. Jaebeom couldn't really wrap his head around this place. It’s like a highschool/college/juvenile detention center. Looking around, there are young people littered in his classes, but their age seems to vary. For such an (allegedly) renowned and exclusive school, Jaebeom's peers in his classes were honestly quite average. Sure, every once in a while he'd run across a kid with green skin or wings or extra appendages, but for the most part, everyone looked pretty normal. Externally, at least. Maybe that should scare Jaebeom more? Most of the day he just found himself observing rather than learning, really. He found himself people-watching, listening to pens rub against papers as people furiously took notes in trig, showing off his embarrassingly bad reflexes to some incredibly out-of-his-league people during gym, until he reached his lunch period, consisting of Yugyeom introducing Jaebeom to his best friend and roommate, Bambam. “He may not look it, but he's the strongest guy you'll ever meet.”

Bambam is quite possibly one of the skinniest people Jaebeom has seen so far at this academy. Jaebeom smirked. “I'll believe it when I see it.”

“I am strong. Believe it!” Bambam held out his hand for Jaebeom to shake. Jaebeom was kind of hesitant, with the whole ice situation, until eventually his hand was snatched followed by a “Dude, don't leave me hangin.” 

Within milliseconds Jaebeom's hand was crushed. He let out a little too embarrassingly loud yelp. 

Thankfully, Bambam's yelp almost matched in volume. “OUCH MAN your hands are FREEZING.”

Yugyeom and Jaebeom bursted out laughing at the sight. Bambam was rubbing his hand and hopping on one leg, as if that's somehow supposed warm his hand any.

“Well yeah, Bammie. He does have ice powers. I told you that, right? I can't remember whether I did or not.” Yugyeom's signature giggle and mischievous smile shone.

“I must have not been paying attention. Next time, I will use my maximum power.” spouted Bambam, pushing up his imaginary glasses.

“DUDE you looked like such a cool anime character right there!” Yugyeom ran up and hugged Bambam, he held an almost comical amount of pride for his roommate’s lame anime references.

Jaebeom smiled. Idiots.

  
  


The bell rang to signal the end of Jaebeom's English class. Next is chemistry. Disgusting. At least it's the last class of the day. Jaebeom went through the motions of introducing himself and getting assigned a seat in the back. On his stride down the lab tables, he was met with many gazes by his classmates. Jaebeom hates being watched more than anything. Especially in this situation. He used to theorize that people were onto him and will discover his freak power. But in this situation, other people know he has a power. They're just trying to figure out how freak it is. He eventually found himself sitting next to a relatively well-built guy with big eyes and an even bigger personality.

“Nice to meet you, JB. I'm Jackson. Let's hope you’re good at chemistry because I have no idea what we're supposed to be doing.” He gestured towards the large array of multicolored jars. They all look intriguing, but not intriguing enough to be familiar from his other school's chem class. Jaebeom is not even sure if he can count the amount of times he attended that class with more than one hand. He skipped that one a lot.

“Nope, not even a little and don't call me that. Just Jaebeom is fine.”

“Sorry dude I'm a nickname kinda guy. I'll try to remember your full name. Y'know, outta respect.” said Jackson, offering a pandering wink.

“I'm not asking you to respect me. I just want to be called by what I want to be called by.”

“No, it's fine. I get it. You obviously don't want to be close with your lab partner. The guy who you are gonna spend approximately an hour and 45 minutes with each day for a whole semester. I get it. Where's our manual?” 

Dramatic. Jaebeom sighed and opened the book to the page the teacher had written on the board. Jaebeom was intently trying to read the text, only to get it taken from his grasp. “Dude, what the heck?”

“I'm not “dude.” I'm Jackson. Please call me by my name. No nicknames.” He offered a sassy eye-roll.

Oh, now Jaebeom understands. Jackson is an asshole. Noted.

Jackson eventually gave in and shared the book. The two stubborn boys bumped elbows and mixed the colorful liquids in messy ratios. Jaebeom had to hyper-focus on the glasses, careful not to freeze the contents inside. He handled the tops of the glasses, carefully avoiding the liquid itself. It's a lot easier and less noticeable to just freeze the tops instead of the chemicals themselves. Who knows how long it'll take for them to thaw if he were to freeze them. Plus, what if he messes up the uh, chemical composition. Jaebeom really has no idea what he's doing.

“JB, could you please handle the bunsen burner while I pour the chemicals? No offense, but the way you're pouring these chemicals are kinda making me nervous.”

Welp, his cat's out of the bag. No need to fight the JB thing. It's a losing battle. “Hah I kinda can't. Especially not things that are supposed to be warm.” Jaebeom held out his palm, revealing the tiny beads of sweat that had froze onto his palm. His nervousness had manifested. 

Jackson gasped and studied his hand. “Holy shi- that's so freaking cool! Haha see what I accidentally did there?!”

Jaebeom rolled his eyes because that’s totally the first time he's heard that one before.

“Sorry, unintentional bad pun. Why the hell is everyone's power way cooler than mine! Mine sucks compared to this.”

“Oh really? What is it?”

“I can speak every language. Ever. Well, at least every language man has written and spoken. Mongolian, Portuguese, Egyptian, Greek, Ancient Greek, you name it.”

Jaebeom tilted his head, perplexed. He expected something less… scholarly from Jackson. He struck him more as the super strength or flying type. Jaebeom was still kinda jealous though. It seems a whole lot more useful than his own. Jackson was probably just looking for a way to tell Jaebeom his power without showing off.

“See? Even you're underwhelmed. The only bright side of my power is my boyfriend, Mark. I would probably never be able to understand him without it. He's mute.”

Boyfriend? “Jackson, I didn't know you swung that way.” 

Jackson secretly appreciated the fact that Jaebeom commented on The Gay Thing and not The Mute Thing. “I swing every way, bro. I guess with him I don't feel so… alone? We started as roommates and then a good case of fwb and then we just realized that we kinda complete each other. That sounds really gay but it's true. This Academy is like a smelting pot for new friends. It's like the school gets that you're a lonely kid with this weird quirk that probably singles you out in the real world. You come here to grow. To understand.”

He started to sound like Yugyeom with this friendship bull. Ugh. And Jaebeom was no stranger to being singled out. He had always been a different kid, even before the whole ice thing. He always opted to read during recess and never really had the drive or curiosity to play pretend house with the rest of his peers. On days where he tried, he never really wanted to be the daddy or son or brother. He usually opted to be the cat, which pretty much was an automatic out for him to hide under the table and read or play with blocks alone. Jaebeom's mom always told him he was a natural loner, but that never really seemed to give him comfort. Is it natural? Jaebeom wanted friends, he just always felt a crushing pressure in his body every time he approached them. He felt like he was trying to sell himself or something. Eventually that anxiety stemmed into a physical form. Ice. And if his soul-crushing anxiety wasn't bad enough, he also had to worry about giving other kids frostbite at the simplest touch or freezing the classroom’s fish tank. Sure, it made some kids curious, but once they realized that he couldn't really control it, it became a sort of nuisance.

“JAEBEOM, THE CHEMICALS!”

Jaebeom snapped out of his daze only to find their mixture bursting into flames. Thankfully Jaebeom's first instinct in every situation is to freeze. He threw his hand over the flame to extinguish it and ended up freezing the tip. Then, in his nervous bout of heroism, he dropped the beaker onto the floor, breaking the top off of the beaker completely.

He and Jackson were promised a passable grade for the project and no monetary compensation as long as they promised to never touch a bunsen burner ever again for the rest of the semester. They must only watch lab demonstrations online while others are working. Also, they had to clean the lab for a few weeks as an additional punishment. Kinda lame, but understandable. After their stunt, he and Jackson held a hidden truce. Jaebeom isn't really sure why this Jackson guy is walking out of class with him, chatting about school gossip and cafeteria food and Mark, but oddly enough, his rambling had a comforting effect on Jaebeom. It's hard to believe he's learned this guy's whole life story in 2 hours.

Is this what friendship feels like?

“Oh by the way, Jaebeom, have you met your roommate yet?”

“Uh, not yet. I didn't have any time to unpack. I just kind of dropped my stuff on the floor and left for breakfast with Yugyeom.”

“Oh yeah, I know Gyeomie. Our powers are kinda similar. Intellectual. So we ended up in a lot of the same classes growing up.”

“Aren't we older than Yugyeom? How did you end up sharing classes with him?”

“This school is very lenient on grade levels. We do it more based off of individual skill set. It's all about accommodation, since some of us, like Yugyeom and Mark and me, have built-in cheat codes.”

“What cheat code does Mark have? You never told me.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot I didn't get to tell you given the whole classroom going up into flames thing. He can read minds. It's really super cool and really super scary. He once told me he's mute because he has everyone's inner voices coursing through his head; he can’t really focus on his own. It's like the receptor that connects speech and language to his brain got unplugged and a whole new receptor that picks up other people's brain waves or something got plugged in instead.”

Jaebeom giggled a little, “Wait, how did he tell you this?”

Jackson raised his thick brow, "I don't really know to be honest. I just see him and … get it."

“Oh … wow. That's really something.”

Now it's Jackson's turn to giggle. “Yeah, sorry if I’m talking about him a lot. I just want to let you know that you should give your roommate a chance. Mark used to hate me, believe it or not. Found my chatting annoying. I think he became embarrassed about dating me, the school’s resident chatterbox, but now he’s not shy or embarrassed by it at all. Where I’m dense, he’s deep. It's scary, meeting the person who compliments you so well. Sometimes the yin fears the yang, but you’ll find your way.”

Jaebeom was starting to get worried. Does Jackson know his future roommate? Jaebeom hates not being in the know, but he supposes here, he should just get used to it. Jaebeom remembers his encounter with Yugyeom and Bambam earlier. His moment he shared with them laughing over a handshake. Laughing over silly things like friends, real friends. The type of friends that don't ask dumb questions about his power because he's sure they've been through the same. The type of friends that Jaebeom sees in his mom's old photo albums, her cheerful smile lighting up the faded photo. Secretly, Jaebeom has always wanted that. Maybe he should give this place a chance? 

Jaebeom opened the door to his dorm to get started unpacking. He's so tired he could hardly stand, but he needs to get his stuff in order. Curse his neatfreak tendencies. Jaebeom started with his security rock. His rock that he keeps in his pocket is the only thing he's not afraid to freeze, because it always thaws in the same shape and condition. He squeezes the rock in his hand like a stiff, stable stress ball. He squeezes it to test his ability, to see if he's calm enough to touch anything important. He could just try to internalize or control his power, but he finds himself focusing so hard on being calm that he just ends up stressing out again and having his power go haywire. Thankfully, he's in a calm enough environment for the rock not to freeze, so went his merry way putting his clothes in the empty drawer. He was about halfway done unpacking his book collection only to be welcomed by the door slamming open, making him accidentally freeze his Shinee CD he was unpacking. Dammit, they deserve better. 

“Don't bother finishing your packing. You'll be outta here in a few hours.” 

Jaebeom turned from his bookshelf. “Uh, nice to meet you too. I'm Im Jaebeom.”

“Yes I know. I have gym with you. Don't bother getting to know me or anything. I'm one of the few kids in this school without a roommate, and I intend to keep it that way.”

Ouch. That hurt. Now that he mentions it, Jaebeom does remember Jinyoung from his gym class. Jaebeom stood in front of him during stretches. He liked the stretch where he could bend backwards because he just wanted to take a sip of that body. Jinyoung’s shirt would hike up a little and his face would stretch into a soothed expression. The motion reminded Jaebeom of his cat back home, stretching her back before sleeping or pouncing on something.

Jaebeom tried to get the image of Jinyoung pouncing on him out of his head during the rest of exercises. Thankfully Jaebeom's power means that if he has any weird gym-short boners, he can just lightly palm his dick until it goes soft. Jaebeom had always struggled with his sexuality. He hadn’t really had much experience before, but he’d be lying if he’d admit he wasn’t curious about what a bossy man like Jinyoung could make him do. His strong jawline and full jowls, biting down on his neck and leaving marks. The feeling of his touch. The fiery, hot sensation that he craves as Jinyoung would wrap his large hands around Jaebeom’s-

Ah, human anatomy is a wonderful thing, especially Jinyoung's. That chest. Those thighs. That smile. Jaebeom feels almost guilty for forgetting that fond memory of seeing him at the gym. He would be thanking his lucky stars right now for being his roommate. Too bad Jinyoung seemed to hate him immediately for no reason. Jinyoung quietly sat at his desk, diligently working on his school work. He kept a very large distance away from Jaebeom, housing in separate corners of the room. Jaebeom must be staring, because now Jinyoung seems a little angrier.

“Please don't watch me. I hate it when people watch me work.” This is the first time Jinyoung has laid eyes on him fully. They're threatening.

Hearing Jinyoung is somehow giving Jaebeom the weirdest boner, but he layed low and continued unpacking. It may only be a night, but what else is Jaebeom going to do? It's his first day of classes, so homework is out of the question. Who's he kidding? It'd be out of the question in any other situation too. 

Jinyoung turned his head. “I thought I told you not to fucking unpack anything yet.”

Jaebeom threw his pillow onto his bed, “What else do you expect me to d-”

Their door slammed open again. An ongoing trend. The headmaster of the school, Choi Youngjae, strolled in slamming the door with a flick of the wrist. Jaebeom only recognized his face based on the pictures. He thought the pictures were painted a long time ago and made to make him look more flattering, but no, 100 years later and he still looks the same, if not more handsome. Smooth hair, calculating eyes, full lips, wide mouth. Even his dark plum suit matched the painting. He was really handsome given his age. Hell, he was dashing in every sense. Jaebeom wondered if it contributed to his power, or what his power really is for that matter.

“It has come to my attention that there is a problem with the duality here. You two are to play nice, ok? Jinyoung, unfortunately I cannot process your request to relocate your roommate. You have had it too good for too long. Owning a single room might seem like a privilege, but you'll learn to appreciate each other sooner than you think. I know good first impressions are hard to achieve, but I'm confident you boys will work out an… arrangement.”

Jinyoung hadn’t even sent the request yet. It was still laying on his deas, unfinished. How did he know? Jinyoung nearly leapt out of his seat. “Mr. Choi, with all due respect, I don't think you know what you're doing. I don't want to hurt-”

“Jinyoung, I may look young but I'm not dumb. I know what I'm doing. You're one of our top students. You could be this academy's poster child if you wanted to, but you limit yourself to this lonely space. Internally and externally. I can only hope you accept more people in with open arms.” Youngjae’s gaze met Jaebeom's “Oh, and Jaebeom, nice to formally meet you. It feels strange meeting a student this old for the first time. I've known most of the kids here since they were little kids. Though somehow, I feel like you'll fit right into place here despite your late start. I can tell you have already met a few friends.” He raised a brow. “Just keep those grades up.”

Jaebeom was shocked by the sudden jab. Can he read minds too? And is Jaebeom a kid? The headmaster sure treats him like one. Jaebeom often finds himself forgetting that he is indeed 18. Most of his peers back home are picking colleges and he's here, struggling with lower-level courses he's basically already taken before. He suddenly felt a deep sense of duty. “I will, Mr. Choi. I'll try my best.”

Jinyoung tried to hide a scoff from across the room. Teacher's pet.

Youngjae started fiddling with his coat buttons and shot the two boys a quick glance. “If you run into any issues, don't be afraid to request my aid.” Youngjae pointed at the pale green phone on the wall, right between Jaebeom and Jinyoung's desks. Jaebeom was wondering about that thing. “I'll probably know the situation though. You calling me is really just a formality. I have eyes and ears all over this school, but I like to keep in touch with my students~” Youngjae giggled, his mischievous aura almost matching Yugyeom's. “Have a good night, boys.” Youngjae gently closed the door behind him. A loud entrance and a silent exit. Mr. Choi is an enigma indeed.

Jaebeom immediately shot a quick glance at Jinyoung, “What now?”

“Don't talk to me. I don't want you any closer. Just go to bed and leave me alone.” Jinyoung grumbled. His face was still stone. 

Jaebeom has never seen him smile, which is odd considering his track record with meeting new kids today. This is the first guy he's met who's not all peaches and roses. He wonders how a fond smile would look on such a pretty face. Jaebeom sinks into his bed just left of Jinyoung's. He fell asleep trying to imagine that smile.


	2. Jaebeom let his mind drift into Jinyoung...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So how's everyone's quarantine going? I can't go on campus for the rest of the semester so I'm stuck at home :/ Thankfully I now have time to write!

Jaebeom let his mind drift into Jinyoung, his conscious mind tried to wrap itself around the man, yet apparently, Jaebeom’s unconscious mind had other plans. He woke up on a mountain… a mountain of ice and snow and solitude. This happened frequently in his sleep, almost like his escape for the 8 or so hours that he spent sleeping.

In this dream, he thought about many things, but nothing in particular. His thoughts dropped down with the insignificant snowflakes two inches in front of his face and collect in pools of pure white snow. His late homework, his fights with his mom, the pretty boy he met just hours before, all reflected off the icicles and played like little snapshots in his mind. It made him wonder if subconsciously, we're all kind of like Yugyeom. We never really forget the insignificant details life delivers us, but we just don't want to bother remembering the painful details between the cracks. 

The worries of what the fuck he's gonna do with his future if he drops out of school, the look of shame in his mother's eyes, that pretty boy's blank expression, trying to avoid him like everyone else, they all seeped into his memories and grew like black mold.

Despite his condition, Jaebeom could still get cold. In fact, he could get freezing. Some nights in this dream world, he spent his time freezing his ass off, his only solace was his own teeth chattering, but sometimes he didn’t mind it, cluttering his mind with more important things like surviving instead of the moldy old memories he ruminated on. 

But tonight, it was different. In this dream, his environment is cold, yet he felt so… warm? He clung to that feeling, like it was some sort of beacon. The feeling warmed and fuzzed all throughout his body while he fought the cold. His legs felt like jelly as he climbed the terrain. He wasn't worried about making it to the top. He'd climbed this mountain before.

Jaebeom stood on the edge of his snow-capped mind-mountain and looked down at the vast nothingness that usually plagued the environment. His whole life up until this point was a white void of undiscovered territory but tonight, his scenic overlook had a speck of life. A cabin was in the distance. The wood, red-roofed cabin was emitting a bright orange light with a warmth Jaebeom could feel almost miles away. 

He was amazed by just how real it all felt. From his scenic ledge, for the first time in his life, Jaebeom followed his instincts for his own sake. Jaebeom jumped from the edge of his mountain to start the journey to the cabin below. His jump into the unknown was so easy, like breathing. The beacon exists right below him, now he's just gotta jump in. The safest path was never Jaebeom's favorite. Follow his instincts.

And then he woke up.

Jaebeom awoke to a sudden burst of warmth suddenly concentrated all below his head. It didn’t feel like the pillow he had slept on the night before. In fact, the object he was sleeping on was quite flat and wrinkled. He started to unfold the grey material and realised that it was, in fact, a mens grey t-shirt. He balled up the shirt in his hands, held it up to his nose, and smelled it. He’s never felt more like a trash gremlin in his life. The shirt smelled like pine and rosewater. Rich and warm.

“Jaebeom, what are you doing?”

Jaebeom snapped out of his daze and looked up at the familiar face that plagued his mind hours before. Jinyoung’s face, just from a lower angle. Jaebeom admired Jinyoung's sharp jawline as Jinyoung was glaring above him. Jaebeom gulped. “I-I don’t know. I must’ve fallen out of bed.”

Jinyoung rolled his eyes and slumped his backpack onto his bed. “Well… obviously. I just mean, what are you doing with my dirty laundry under your face?”

Jaebeom looked down at the shirt. Jinyoung’s shirt. He felt the sudden urge to not let go of it. Treasure it like a million dollars. “Sorry I think I just uh g-grabbed it in my sleep o-on accident or something. Sorry…”

Jinyoung continued avoiding eye contact with Jaebeom. He focused on putting his books away neatly on their shelves and getting some coins out of a random pouch for the vending machines at lunch. His hair was neatly combed into a rather handsome swoop. Jaebeom wondered what his aftershave smelled like, if it's anything like the shirt.“That’s okay. Just don’t keep doing it. It’s weird. You’ve been weird to me ever since you walked into here.”

“Me? I should be asking YOU that question, Jinyoung! All I’ve done is introduce myself to you?” Jaebeom, suddenly feeling self-conscious, felt his hair for a second. It’s greasy. He needs a shower. 

“I just don’t get you, I guess. You missed morning classes, by the way.” Jinyoung grabbed his backpack quickly and slammed the door, seemingly in the middle of his and Jaebeom's conversation. He still left Jaebeom clinging to his shirt, confused. Why was he always closing Jaebeom out?

Jaebeom hurriedly threw on his uniform before exiting his room behind Jinyoung. The shower would have to wait. He had to get to lunch quickly before he missed it too. Jackson made it seem like him and Jinyoung would understand each other immediately, so what gives? In Jaebeom’s dreams, it just made sense. Of course the cold would desire the hot. Of course the hot would hurt people, but it could be so warm all the same. Jaebeom knew at the pit of his stomach that Jinyoung had to have that warmth somewhere. With his mean front, Park Jinyoung must be a liar.

“Mark said you’re absolutely right.” Jackson shot Jaebeom a wink as he sat next to him at the lunch table, with a white-haired, slender looking guy sitting next to him. Said guy held out his hand for Jaebeom to shake and shot a handsome smile. His teeth were sharp like fangs, but they were oddly charming? Jaebeom timidly shook his hand.

The boy then shot Jackson a commanding look.

“O-oh he wants me to apologize for not introducing him properly. This is the Mark I was talking about in lab yesterday! Isn’t he just the coolest!”

Mark proudly smirked to himself and shyly rubbed the back of his own neck. He curled into himself. 

Jaebeom wondered if that’s what love looked like.

Mark reached forward and patted Jaebeom on the back. 

Jackson ate a grape off of Jaebeom’s plate. “We know, buddy. We know. Starting things is difficult. Speaking of starting things, where were you this morning? ”

“Oh, y’know, sleeping. I mean, I fought with Jinyoung too...so the usual I guess...” Jaebeom repressed a smile.

Jackson raised a brow and met eyes with Mark, before meeting eyes with Jaebeom and asking, “You dreamt about him last night, didn’t you?”

“I dunno I guess I dreamt about… his aura? He like, plagued my usual dreams in a weird way. Like, I didn’t physically see him in my dreams…but I could sense him? And smell him, I guess?” Jaebeom decided not to bring up the fact that he woke up using Jinyoung’s laundry as a pillow, considering that is both embarrassing and difficult to explain, considering he doesn’t even know how the shirt got there.

“Maybe you manifested it?” Jackson said the words while Mark shot him the glare this time, therefore making it seem like Mark himself asked it. It’s creepy how well he could communicate through Jackson. That is, until something creepier happened.

Jinyoung sat down next to Mark, then Yugyeom joined him. They both seemed very focused on their conversation. Jinyoung talked with very bold motions, “I’m just saying that there’s something weird about him, you know? Like, I don’t need someone getting in my way right now. I was just starting to regain my focus and feel better and BOOM, as soon as I saw him I felt the feeling to go off again. Does that make any sense, Yugyeom-ah?”

Jackson poked Jinyoung’s elbow and gestured at Jaebeom. “What you're saying about Jaebeom is interesting, Jinyoung. Why don’t you ask him?”

Jinyoung jumped. “Hold on!” He leaned forward, dodging Jackson to get to Jaebeom and sat beside him. “YOU! You know Jackson and Mark?”

Jaebeom sighed, getting tired of introductions “Jackson’s my chem lab partner. Yugyeom welcomed me. And Jackson never shuts up about Mark so I was bound to meet him eventually.”

Jinyoung held his hand into controlled fists. His plastic lunch tray was starting to melt just by being in his perimeter.

Jackson stood up and backed away. "Woah dude, chill out. He hasn't even done anything." Mark stood up intently as welland stared at Jinyoung with his usual glare.

Jinyoung stood as well and gestured down at Jaebeom, "It's ALWAYS you! Yesterday, when you walked in my room for the first time, I was expecting you for some fucking reason. I don't know how or why but if I've learned anything from this miserable ability I was given, it's that I shouldn't bother with things I can't control. Just your mere presence in the room heats me up. I have this stupid power that could destroy anything and for some deranged reason it's just been begging to show itself around you. Do you know how much control I must practice every day. It took me a long time to get here, and I'll be damned if you get in my way" Jinyoung grabbed Jaebeoms jaw, "I could blow up at any moment. Now wipe that dumb smirk off your face. You and me together...it's a mistake."

Jaebeom didn't wipe it off, though he did have some food on his face. He kept the smirk. Jinyoung's stern face was about 4 inches away from his own; how could he not be at least a little excited about that? Jaebeom could see every pore, every wrinkle on his forehead. Flawless, but weathered. Jaebeom wondered if his skin is made different from the average humans, or if it burned like everyone else's? "You think you can blow up like a fucking bomb or something? Show me, hothead."

Yugyeom, along with everyone else in their radius, joined Jackson and Mark in backing far away from them. It was only a matter of time before the office intervenes.

Jinyoung held his hand up, prepared to strike. If this is what he had to do to get people away from him, so be it. It's worked with his family, it's worked with his friends, it's worked with his old life. How is this any different? It was just another warm body. Jinyoung squinted his eyes and anticipated the fire to erupt from his fingertips and scar Jaebeom's pretty little clueless face. 

Jaebeom's never been burned before. He was quite intrigued, really.

Both of the boys' irises dilated with interest. They pulled each other closer in the heat of the moment.

Then Jaebeom blacked out.

His last memory was the office staff's noisy boots storming the halls.

Then the heat absorbed into him. In this lost state, he wondered if that's what love felt like. A frightening display of intrigue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the comments expressing interest in this fic! I love and treasure every one of them. They're always appreciated. Sorry if this one's short. As payback I'll post the next chapter a little sooner!


	3. The stark whites of the room all blended into one creamy haze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told ya I'd update quickly. I spent all day writing this instead of studying for my exam this coming Tuesday. It's open note so I'm not sweating it. I have to take these little bursts of creativity as they come lol.

The stark whites of the room all blended into one creamy haze. Jaebeom’s blurry post-sleep vision cleared up to be met by Jinyoung seemingly watching paint dry on the desk in front of them. Oddly enough, Jaebeom could feel his presence even before he awoke. This time it made a little bit more sense considering they're sitting right next to each other. 

The room is almost bizarrely clean and empty, almost like the type of room they put crazy people with straightjackets in. It felt like solitary confinement or something. Does this mean that they’re locked up? Jaebeom’s not sure if he could survive in a prison cell with Jinyoung, considering he was trying to char him literally minutes(?) ago. 

Jaebeom’s honestly not really sure how long he was knocked out. Jaebeom nervously fumbled with the security rock in his pocket. They sat there for a few minutes, alone in their contemplation, until Jaebeom finally found a good question to ask, “Hey, how long have I been out?”

Jinyoung briefly snapped out of his thoughts, “I just tried to burn your face off and that’s the first question you ask me?”

Jaebeom felt his face. He’s not really sure what a burn is supposed to feel like, but he certainly thinks it should feel different than his usual skin texture. He’s always had pretty smooth skin though, so he’s not too sure. “Fine then, does my skin look burned? What degree?”

“Yeah...it’s really unfortunate, actually…” Jinyoung’s facial expression changed to genuine sorrow. 

Jaebeom’s never really seen Jinyoung act like this, “Oh, really? I’m sure you didn’t really mean it. I mean, I can’t really control the levels of my abilities that much either.” Jaebeom smirked wistfully, “In fact, I don’t think my powers have ever completely worked in my favor, so I don’t blame you for being brash about it. It’s not really a big loss anywa-”

“I was lying, Jaebeom. Your face hasn’t changed. You have ice abilities for chrissake, of course you can’t burn. You’ve probably never felt any hot surface in your life.”

“No, I actually have. Many times. It always just... feels warm to me. Warm is the only word I can really use to describe it I guess. Just like how you’ve probably felt cold before. I was honestly kind of hoping to get burned.” Jaebeom grinned, did Jinyoung just find out he has ice abilities? Has he really been paying this little attention to him? 

Maybe Jinyoung's a slower learner than Jaebeom thought. Normally someone not knowing such a crucial part of Jaebeom would upset him. Jaebeom usually doesn't get along well with neglect, but for some reason Jaebeom found comfort and almost humor in the fact that it really took Jinyoung almost killing him to find out. Jinyoung saw him as more than just Mr.Freeze. That meant a lot to Jaebeom.

Jinyoung straightened his posture in his seat and straightened out his back. He closed his eyes in quiet defiance. “I guess I've never really felt cold either, just cool. A walk in a snowstorm without a coat feels like a glass of ice water to me.”

Huh, Jaebeom's never really thought about it that way, but it does make sense.

Almost as if on cue, Youngjae sauntered into the white room and sat in the desk right in front of the two. “Hello boys! You feeling ok? How ya feel, JB?"

Jaebeom’s ears perked at the nickname. That stupid nickname... nope, not going there. Not even gonna ask how Mr.Choi knows about it. Jaebeom swallowed, remembering he is in the headmaster’s office, after all. “I feel fine.”

“Do you? Do you really?”

“I dunno. A little hungry I guess?” Jaebeom didn’t get to finish his lunch.

Mr.Choi laughed quite possibly the loudest laugh he’s ever heard. Is it really that funny? “What about you, Jinyoung? Hungry?”

Jinyoung glanced at his watch. “Well if we leave now we’ll be able to pick up something really quick from the cafeteria. We have about 3 minutes left of our lunch period. I could grab an apple or something if you let me leave now.”

Again with the laughing. “Oh boy, I can’t tell who’s funnier. You’re both naive in your own right. Definitely complimentary. A good match indeed.”

Jinyoung scoffed. “How? How exactly is this supposed to make me feel any better? If I wanted you to laugh in my face I would’ve just called you to our room and asked. I would ask what we’re doing here, but it’s obvious that it’s because I tried to burn my roommate. He’s fine though! Look, I’ll even say sorry. Jinyoung pivoted his whole body in his chair to face Jaebeom. His expression flourished in blunt sarcasm. “Sorry, roomie!” Oh god. Jinyoung really does want to leave quickly.

Jaebeom sassily shot him a thumbs-up. He knew he shouldn't bother with a come-back. He knew that Jinyoung and him were gonna be here for a while. 

“Jinyoung, though I appreciate your heartfelt attempt at an apology. Genuinely, it’s tugging my heartstrings right here.” (Mr.Choi pointed at his chest, obviously.) “But I’m not here for an apology. Half-hearted or not. You two will have plenty of time to adjust to each other’s bothersome tendencies. I just brought you here to help you two better understand how to begin this important journey this school sets you on. Jinyoung, you haven’t been here for as long as most. I’ve already told you you’ve had it too good here for too long. Believe it or not, you’re gonna have to learn a thing or two at school. And Jaebeom, why, it’s only your second day here and you’ve already found yourself a circle of friends! According to my files, that’s already exceptional progress. I mean, one of them tried to permanently scar your skin as a sign of repulsion, but you can’t win em all in one go. Crack a few eggs, y’know?”

Jinyoung unfolded his arms. “Well then, let’s get crackin’.”

Jaebeom nodded in agreement. He would like some answers on why Jinyoung is such a sourpuss, and hopefully Youngjae can give him some hints.

“Excellent!” Youngjae tucked his head underneath his desk and emerged with one of those red horseshoe magnets in each hand:  
He held up the one in his right hand, “Jinyoung.”  
He held up the one in his left hand, “Jaebeom.”  
“You see, as you know, each of these magnets have poles." He pointed at each pronged end of the magnets. "Two very different parts of each of your personalities, both combining into one whole magnet. The south pole, your positive pole, is your yang. It expresses your outward self. Your energetic, hot, bright side. The masculine force that uses it’s brute force to express itself in a very forward manner. They can be… quite brash in nature, though.  
And then the north pole, your negative pole, your yin, expresses your inward self. This side is still in nature, like a block of stagnant ice, along with being more concealed and mysterious. A tough nut to crack open indeed. This side often feels like an outcast from the world, like the shaded side of the moon. They can be very quiet and contemplative in nature, which is nice, but too much of this side could hold the individual back. They may spend too much time in the shadows, not enough in the limelight. All of that gentle contemplation, wasted.  
We all share these features and as a society, it’s our job to balance these forces. But naturally, as humans, we tend to have our own ratios of each, which certainly isn’t an even 50/50. I find that this especially applies to super-humans like ourselves, hence why we introduced this effective rooming situation. It takes a lifetime for a human to get their ideal ratio, for a super-human, it takes twice that time. Hence, two people. Two lifetimes.”

Jinyoung and Jaebeom had been exchanging glances during Mr. Choi’s lecture the whole time. They were both mentally questioning Mr.Choi’s credentials. This shit’s gotta be pseudoscience. Mega cringe. 

Jinyoung is genuinely trying his best to play nice. “Yeah Mr.Choi, that’s an intriguing concept. You really hit the nail on the head there, but what if it’s wrong? What if it’s not effective?” If Jinyoung’s looks could kill, the room would be a murder scene.

More laughing. “You boys really do kill me! Truly, I mean it! I’m never wrong. Maybe you two are more visual learners? Jinyoung set the magnet on his right hand, Jinyoung’s magnet, onto the table. “You have your magnet. Your being, with a yin and a yang. Although this magnet has even sides, it’s not really even. You’re obviously upset with me, Jinyoung. There’s clearly too much Yang. Now, when Jaebeom’s magnet-self saunters into your sphere,” With his fingertips, Mr.Choi steered the magnet that was in his left hand, Jaebeom’s magnet, into the space of Jinyoung’s. Jinyoung’s magnet started to repel away from Jaebeom’s, moving across the table. “As you can see, they repel. Their yins and yangs simply collided into each other without thought. The balances are offset if approached in the same way. A yang cannot help outweigh another yang. However, if you switch the perspectives,” Mr.Choi flipped Jaebeom’s magnet around, “the north and south attract. The yin helps the yang, and likewise. It takes a lot of time and practice to shift one's own yin-yang ratio, but using your own ratio to help balance another's … that should be easy”

Jaebeom could tell that the keyword in that statement is 'should'.

Jinyoung sighed. "Mr.Choi, it's almost 1:30 and class has been in session for 30 minutes. I've learned my lesson, play nice with Jaebeom. Got it. Can I go now?"

Mr.Choi glanced at Jinyoung curtly and signaled towards the door. "You're dismissed. Focus on your yin for once and think about our talk!"

The door to the office slammed. Jinyoung’s gone.

“See that? That’s the repulsion.” Mr.Choi settled into his chair, propped his feet up on his desk.

“Uh, can I leave too?”

“Not yet, Jaebeom. Before you leave, I think I owe you some encouragement. You’ve followed your instincts your whole life up to this point. It’s easy to tell that you’re a boy who marches to his own drum. That's great! Keep doing that! But sometimes, learn how to match each other’s tempos.”

Well that was ominous. Jaebeom ended up going to his afternoon math class and sat in the back of the room in his desk as usual, only for his professor to go up to him and say,  
“We received a note from the office that you’re excused for the rest of the day due to your prior… altercation. There’s only a few hours left in the day anyway, so you won’t be missing much.” The teacher handed Jaebeom a packet of work, “Do this homework over the weekend. It includes extra credit. If you want to pass this class, I recommend doing this work and earning a good grade on the next exam. I understand starting things can be difficult, but you can only slack off for so long. The next exam is on Monday. I have high expectations for you, Jaebeom. I know you can do well”

Christ, what day is it? Jaebeom checked his blank planner only to find out that today’s a Friday. So he basically has a weekend to learn a couple week’s worth of math work. Great. “Thank you, Professor Min.” Jaebeom then swiftly got out of his desk and made his way out of the room.  
Professor Min swiftly held out the stacks of paper, “You nearly forgot these.”

Jaebeom was already half out the door. “Oh, thanks.” Jaebeom wondered why such a special school that was supposed to help him hone his powers is so focused on useless academics. Jaebeom knows he’s never going to use linear algebra or trigonometry in the real world. He came to the conclusion that school is school, super or otherwise. Jaebeom sucks at school, so the whole situation makes him want to go to bed.

As he walked into his room, the lights are off. Jinyoung must’ve had the same idea, considering he himself was also asleep in his bed. Jaebeom was tempted to examine his sleeping form, see his face when it’s peaceful and meditative as opposed to the usual standoff-ish look he usually sports.

Instead, Jaebeom simply dove into bed and took a bit of a midday nap. Then, as midday naps do, it turned into a midday sleep. Before Jaebeom knew it, he awoke to an even darker room than the one he fell asleep in. He glanced out the window, only to see bright stars and the city lights illuminating the horizon outside of the school’s grounds. The lights called him. He must answer. He turned to Jinyoung’s still-sleeping form and walked up to him. Jaebeom wasn’t really sure how to wake him up. Then he suddenly face-palmed. Shit, he has ice powers. Jaebeom stroked his cold hand down Jinyoung’s face, only to yelp at Jinyoung’s large hand grabbing his arm,

“What the fuck are you doing?”

Jaebeom pointed out the window, “The lights, let’s see them.”

Jinyoung turned on his desk lamp beside his bed. Who the hell does this Jaebeom guy think he is? “Not only do you want to attempt to escape the school that you’ve just enrolled in, but you want to go with the same guy who hates you?”

Jaebeom grinned cockily. “I don’t want to escape per se…. more like a brief getaway, just for the night! Besides, who said I hated you?”

Jinyoung matched his grin. Maybe this aforementioned Jaebeom guy is more interesting than he thought? He really hasn’t given him much of a chance, and Jinyoung has to admit, somewhere deep inside of him there is some intrigue towards his new roommate. Their altercation earlier that day taught Jinyoung that… maybe Jaebeom isn’t just another warm body. Maybe, he’s a bit colder than that? Besides, the mere concept of seeing the outside world again unwarranted, with no monitors or chaperones is appealing enough, and with Jaebeom there to extinguish any potential fires, maybe Jinyoung will actually not get another police charge for an act of arson? A peaceful night reading under the stars does sound nice. Jinyoung grabbed a book, putting it in his backpack to take with him. “Alright, be prepared to get your hopes up because I’m in. What’s the plan?”

Jaebeom could’ve squealed with excitement, but he decided to hold it in and simply grab his backpack as well, just in case. After careful inspection for alarms, Jaebeom unlatched the windows and looked down. They’re on one of the lower floors, the third one. “Damn, I guess there is no plan. Do you think we could make it if we jumped?”

Jinyoung shook his head. “Idiot, absolutely not, but I have an idea.” Jinyoung opened up the lower cabinet of their single shared bathroom and dug out an old red box. Within it there was a first aid kit, cleaning supplies and…”There it is, a rope ladder.”

“Why the hell do we have a rope ladder?”

Jinyoung threw it down from the windowsill. “The school keeps this kit kind of a secret. Only the fire-hazard students like me have access to it, since we’re kind of a liability. The only problem is, we have no way of securing it to the windowsill. I guess the school didn’t think that far.”

Jaebeom walked up to Jinyoung and took one side of the ladder and froze it into place. He then took the side that Jinyoung was securing and did the same. “I froze it outside the window so that way it’ll simply fall once it melts. We just have to go down it quickly.”

Jinyoung gave Jaebeom’s back a little tap. “That’s not a bad idea. Let’s hope it’s secure enough.” Jinyoung had to admit, he was pretty scared of heights. Have they always been this high up?

“Why don’t you go first, Jinyoung? Since you’re heavier and all. I can just refreeze it if it starts to falter.”

Jinyoung had to admit, Jaebeom’s reasoning did make sense. He still stood there, planted to the floor, staring at the open window.

A sudden cool burst met his arm. Jaebeom’s small hand, “Jinyoung, are you good?”

Jinyoung turned to look at Jaebeom’s face. The boy looked concerned. The type of concern Jinyoung’s never really seen anyone show towards him before. He felt his heart swell a little, as if he’s recalling a childhood memory. A good childhood memory, that is. If his mind were a filing cabinet, the look on Jaebeom’s face at that moment could be filed between ‘The way Jinyoung’s first smore tasted during summer camp, in 4th grade with his friends’ and ‘The smell of pancakes on a Sunday morning, doing crosswords with his dad.’ The memories saddened Jinyoung slightly, the bittersweetness of it all, but here that feeling is, right in front of him, broadcasted right in Jaebeom’s face. Jaebeom’s relying on him to accompany him tonight. Jinyoung summoned as much courage as he could, “Yeah, I’m good. Watch the rope.”

As Jinyoung ventured downward, he has one of those moments in life where he wondered how the hell he got in the situation he’s currently in. By the time he reached the bottom, he watched Jaebeom edgerly head down himself. Jinyoung stayed below him, hoping to god the bits of ice securing the ladder doesn’t melt. 

Eventually, needless to say, the rope didn’t give, but Jaebeom’s clumsiness sure did. On the last ten or so rungs of the ladder, Jaebeom’s sneakers slipped trying to step on one of the the rounded rungs and he felt himself falling down, seeing the night sky swiftly grow farther and farther above him as he sailed farther and farther down.

Only to dive right into Jinyoung’s arms. 

Catching Jaebeom, Jinyoung had another one of those life moments, except instead of wondering how the hell he got in the situation, he wondered how the hell he ended up feeling this way. When did Jaebeom's face switch from irritating to… kind of cute within a matter of a day and a half? Another memory to add to the mental file. Right there, with Jaebeom in his arms, for a brief moment, he wondered if that was what love felt like

The shock of the situation was starting to fizzle out in Jaebeom as his cheeks started to bloom into a pink blush. Jinyoung is a very strong guy. Jaebeom tried to ignore the stirring in his heart and … other places. He's just starting to befriend the boy, no use putting confusing romantic feelings in the way. “Well, let’s find a 24-hour gas station or something. I'm still starving.” Jaebeom grabbed the rope ladder lying on the ground and put it in his backpack.

The boys mentally agreed to pretend that moment never happened and took for the streets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thanks for the comments. I always go back and reread them anytime I feel writers block because they are just so lovely. I don't know when I'll post the next update. My writing process is chaotic, but it'll come in due time. Promise!


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